Seed-planter.



STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. BINNS, JR., OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE.

SEED-PLANTER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN E. BINNS, J12, a citizen of the United States,residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seed- Planters, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to planting machines and has for its object toprovide new and novel means for mounting and adjusting the seeddepositing shoes whereby the seed may be planted at any desired depth;the present application being a division of my prior application forpatent, Serial Number 620,065, filed April 10th, 1911.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for yieldinglysupporting the shoes upon the frame of the machine so that they may bereadily moved over obstructions and thereby avoid all liability ofdamage to the same.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of thenovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of partshereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a seedplanting machine embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailelevation of the shoe carrying frame; Fig. 1 is a section taken on theline 1- 1 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3;Fig. 6 is a detail section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 2.

The present invention relates to machines for planting seed in hills andfor planting wheat and similar grain in drills, the invention relatingmore specifically to the mounting of the seed or grain depositingspouts. For the purpose of illustrating the application of my invention,I have shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings a double row seed plantingmachine for planting corn and similar seeds in hills, said machine alsoembodying a plurality of cultivator disk gangs, though it will beunderstood that this latter feature is not essential to the operation ofthe invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, 5 designates a framewhich may be of any ordinary or approved construction, and 6 thesupporting Wheels in which Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application filed April 10, 1911, Serial No. 620,065.

Serial No. 621,431.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

Dividedand this application filed April 15,

said frame is supported. Upon the frame 5 at opposite sides of itscenter, the seed hoppers 7 are arranged. Seed dropping mechanisms of anyapproved character are arranged within the hoppers 7 and are adapted tointermittently drop a number of seed .into the conducting tubes 8 whichconvey the same to suitable depositing spouts as will be more fullyhereinafter set forth. These seed dropping mechanisms are adapted to besimultaneously actuated through the medium of suitable gearing which isarranged on opposite ends of the frame 5 and are driven from the wheelaxles to which said gearing is connected by means of suitable sprocketchains whereby rotary movement is transmitted to the seed dropping shaft9.

The particular construction of the power transmission gearing wherebyrotation is imparted to the shaft 9 is more fully set forth in acompanion application Serial Number 621.4132 filed coincident herewith.Upon the shaft 9, the miter gears 10 are loosely mounted which mesh withthe gears 11 and drive the seed dropping mechanisms. Either or both ofthe seed dropping mechanisms may be thrown out of operation by means ofthe lever 12 see Fig. 6 which carries a depending yoke loosely engagedwith a sliding clutch head 13 keyed upon the shaft 9. This lever ispivotally mounted upon a rack 14 secured to the frame 5 and carries theusual spring pressed holding dog for engagement with the teeth of therack. A clutch head 15 is also carried by the pinion 10 with which theclutch member 13 is adapted to engage and look the pinion on said shaft.In this manner it will be seen that by simply shifting the movableclutch member 13 on the shaft, the dropping mechanisms may be easily andquickly thrown out of operation.

To the center of the frame 5 a supporting member is rigidly secured.This supporting member consists of the body plate 16 formed upon itsupper edge with a flange 17 for engagement over the upper edge of theangular frame bar. the body plate has formed thereon the forwardly andrearwardly extending guide flanges 18. These guide flanges are bracedfrom the body plate by means of the webs 19 which are integrally formedtherewith. Between these webs at the upper end of the plate 16 a lateralextension 20 is formed At its lower edgeguides-18 thereof are adapted toreceive a 'depending frame 25. This frame consists of'the pairs-"ofvertical parallel bars 26 which are spaced and integrallyconnected attheir upper ends as at 27. Upon'the 'upper end of this depending framethe lon J'gitudinal ribs 28 are formed for engagement in the guideflanges 18 of the support 16. A sliding block 29 is mounted upon thedepending frame 25, and said block is provided upon its upper end withthe laterally extending arms-30 which are grooved as at v 31 to receivethe parallel frame bars 26 (see Fig.

Upon the lower end of this sliding block 29, an eye beam 31 is pivotallymounted intermediate of its ends as indicated at 32. This eye beam istransversely mounted "in the frame and is normally held in paral lelrelation thereto 'by means of the coiled extensions orarms formed on thearms 30 of the sliding block, andthe upper longitudinal edge of saidbeam. These springs will allow the eye beam to rock upon the slidingblock so that the depositing spouts may safely pass over boulders, treeroots, or other obstructions without injury thereto. The depositingspouts 34' are mounted at their upper ends in suitable bearings 35 fixedto the ends of the beam 31, and said spout carries the usual inclinedcovering disks 36 which are adapted to cover the seed aft-er it isdeposited in the earth. Suitable furrow opening shoes 37 are alsoarranged at the ends of the eye beam 31 and open a furrow in themovement of the machine into which the seed is deposited.

The rocking beam 31 and parts carried thereby are adapted to be raisedand lowered in order to regulate the depth to whlch the seed areplanted, by means of a lever 38 pivotally mounted upon a rack segment39. To this lever a link bar .10 is pivotally connected at one end, theother end of said bar being similarly connected to one of the arms 30 ofthe sliding block 29. The lever 38 carries the locking dog L1 for engagement with the teeth of the rack 39 to lock the-sliding block 29 and thebeam carried thereby in its adjusted position upon the depending frame25. This lever is within convenient reach of the operator as will benoted'from reference to Fig. 1 so that the shoes and depositing spoutsmay be easily and quickly adjusted in the frame of the machine. Thisadjusting means is comparatively simple, may be easily and quicklyarranged upon machines of this character of the present construction,without requiringany materialchanges therein. Itwill also be evidentthat my improved adjusting means may be produced at comparatively smallcost, and that the same is ex.. tremely eflicient in practical use, forthe purpose set forth.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction and operation ofthe invention will be readily understood without requiring anyadditional description.

While I have specifically described the preferred construction andarrangement of the various parts, it will be obviousthat the inventionis susceptible of considerable modification without departing from theessential feature or sacrificing any of the ad vantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. In a seedplanter, a mainframe and a seed hopper mounted thereon, a depending.

frame centrally secured to the mainframe and having spaced guide-ways, ablock movable in said guide-ways, a beam pivotally mounted upon saidblock for vertical oscillatory movement, means holding said beam againstmovement, a seed depositing spout carried by the beam, a flexibleconnection between said spout and the seed hopper, and means mountedupon the depending frame and connected tosaidblock for raising andlowering thesame.

2. In a seed planter, a wheel supported frame and seed hoppers mountedthereon, a

transversely disposed beampivotallymounted in said frame for verticalsliding and oscillatory movement, seed depositing spouts carried by saidbeam, flexible connectionsbetween the spouts and the seed hoppers, andmeans for adjusting said beam vertically in the frame.

3. In a seed planter, a frame having seed hoppers arranged thereon, ablock vertically slidable in said frame, a transversely disposed beampivotally mounted intermediate of its ends upon said block, seeddepositing spouts carried by said beam, flexible connections betweensaid spouts and the seed hoppers, and manually operable means mounted onthe frame and connected to said block to slide the same and verticallyadjust the beam.

4. In a seedplanter, a wheel supported frame having a seed hoppermounted thereon, a plate rigidly fixed to said frame, a depending framehaving means formed thereon for interlocking engagement withcorresponding means formed on said plate whereby said frame may bedetachably connected to the plate, a vertically oscillatory beam bodilymovable in a vertical plane upon said frame, a seed depositing spoutcarried by the beam, a flexible connection between said spout and theseed hopper, and means for raising and lowering the beam.

5. In a seed planter, a main frame having yieldingly.

seed hoppers arranged thereon, a depending frame centrally secured tothe main frame, a block mounted in said depending frame, a beampivotally mounted on said block, means arranged between the beam andsaid block to yieldingly hold the beam against pivotal movement, seeddepositing spouts carried by the beam, and flexible connections betweensaid spouts and the seed hoppers.

6. In a seed planter, a wheel supported main frame having seed hoppersarranged thereon, a depending frame removably mounted upon the mainframe, a block vertically slidable in the depending frame, a beampivotally mounted on the block, means disposed between the beam and saidblock to yieldingly hold the beam against pivotal movement, seeddepositing spouts carried by the beam, flexible connections between saidspouts and the seed hoppers, and means mounted upon the depending frameand connected to said block to vertically adjust said beam upon theframe.

7. In a seed planter, a wheel supported frame having seed hoppersmounted thereon, a transversely disposed beam pivotally supportedintermediate of its ends in said frame and having oscillatory movementin a vertical plane, seed depositing spouts arranged on each end of thebeam, flexible connections between said spouts and the seed hoppers,means yieldingly holding said beam against oscillatory movement, andadditional means for raising and lowering said beam.

8.'In a seed planter, a main frame, guides rigidly fixed to said mainframe, a

depending frame removably engaged in said guides, said latter frameconsistingof spaced pairs of parallel bars, a block having portionsdisposed between said parallel bars and vertically movable in saidframe, depositing spouts mounted upon said block for movementindependent thereof, means yieldingly holding said spouts against suchindependent movement, and means mounted upon said depending frame andconnected to the block to vertically move the same and adjust the spoutswith relation to the ground surface.

9. In a seed planter, a wheel supported frame having seed hoppersarranged thereon, a depending frame removably mounted centrally upon themain frame, a block vertically movable in said depending frame andhaving laterally extending arms, a transversely disposed beampivotallymounted intermediate of its ends upon said block, springsarranged between the arms of the block and said beam to yieldinglymaintain the beam against pivotal movement, seed depositing spoutsarranged upon the ends of said beam, flexible connections between saidspouts and the seed hoppers, a lever pivotally mounted upon saiddepending frame, and a link connecting said lever and said block to movethe latter vertically in the frame and adjust the depositing spouts withrelation to the ground surface.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

JOHN E. BINNS, JR. Witnesses:

D. W. BINNS, R. A. RHODES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. O.

